Larbi Ould Khelifa, 74, to chair its pro-ceedings by a show of hands with noother candidates standing.

In an earlier development, the Move-ment of Society for Peace (MSP)decided to join the ranks of the opposi-tion after having taken part in the gov-

ernment for several years. (Al Jazeera,Doha 19 ⁄ 5; BBC News Online 26 ⁄ 5) Elec-

toral preparations p. 19232A

CONFERENCES

AFRICAN UNIONAfrica: 54 Countries, One Union

The process of unity hinges on peaceand good infrastructure to supportgrowth.

Officials from Africa, Europe and anumber of international organisationsgathered in the African Union’s (AU)new conference centre on May 3rd todebate the main priorities for Africa’sregional integration.

The third Africa: 54 countries, OneUnion conference aimed to establishhow best to help and support the pro-cess towards the unity of the Africancontinent; a process that would be along and gradual one, but which is animperative condition for a long-lastingpeace.

The conference focussed on the roles ofthe AU and its sub-regional organiza-tions, the European Union (EU) andthe UN, as well as those of China andthe US in the integration process of thecontinent.

Mr. Romano Prodi, President of theFoundation for World Wide Coopera-tion, said that peace is still fragile onthe continent, as there are still ongo-ing conflicts and they are not goingto be solved quickly or easily. Heemphasized that the road to integra-tion is not easy, while peace andsecurity issues are yet to be resolved.He called for the creation of ‘‘a conti-nental market which is key to devel-oping the continent because it willincrease growth and livelihoods’’, add-ing that there is need for dynamicand inclusive growth, increased mobil-ity of goods, services and people. ‘‘Inorder to do so, we need regional andcontinental infrastructures’’, Mr Prodisaid.

The conference offered senior policymakers and experts the opportunity todiscuss the relevance of regional inte-gration and mechanisms in addressingpeace, security and development chal-lenges in Africa, especially in WestAfrica and the Sahel region.

The deliberations covered the themes ofpeace, security and development, infra-structure and investment, trade, mar-kets and liberalization. (APO, AddisAbaba 7 ⁄ 5)

IN BRIEFLake Chad Basin: Chad has called for thesix-nation Lake Chad Basin Commission,which groups Cameroon, Central AfricanRepublic, Chad, Libya, Niger and Nigeria, toset up a joint force tasked with containingthe Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram.Experts have warned that the group is build-ing links with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Mag-hreb (AQLIM) which has mainly been activein the Sahara, across Niger, Mali and Alge-ria, and is expanding beyond Nigeria’s bor-ders to threaten the entire region.

The appeal by Chadian President IdrissDeby Itno at the regional grouping’s summitin Libreville came amid unabated andspreading attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria(p. 19245). CAR President Francois Bozizeconcurred and offered to contribute troops.(� AFP, Libreville 30 ⁄ 4; Daily Trust, Lagos2 ⁄ 5)

POLITICALRELATIONS

REFUGEESMali – Sahel States

IDPs vie with hungry for food.

Sahelian governments and local andinternational aid groups are strugglingto cope with both the continual arrivalof people fleeing the regions of Gao,Timbuktu and Kidal in northern Mali,and the mounting number of hungrypeople across the region as the leanseason gets underway. Families acrossthe Sahel are also experiencing a signifi-cant loss of income as hundreds ofthousands of Mauritanians, Burkinabesand Malians have fled conflict in Libya,bringing a halt to the remittances theyregularly sent.

Altogether some 284,000 Malians havefled the north according to the UNOffice for the Coordination ofHumanitarian Affairs (OCHA),107,000 of them are thought to bedisplaced within Mali; 177,000 inneighbouring countries. New arrivals

have pushed refugee numbers to56,664 in Burkina Faso, 61,000 inMauritania, and 39,388 in Niger,according to UNHCR. These govern-ments are already struggling to getaid to millions of their own inhabit-ants, who are facing hunger due todrought. (UN humanitarian news andanalysis service, IRIN 4 ⁄ 5)

SOUTH AFRICA –ZIMBABWELandmark Ruling

Officials who thought they were safewill now face investigation.

South African authorities must investi-gate Zimbabwean officials who areaccused of involvement in torture andcrimes against humanity in Zimbabwe,the North Gauteng High Court ruledon May 8th.

The case was brought by the SouthernAfrican Litigation Centre (SALC) andthe Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF).They sought to review and set aside a

Rwanda – Democratic Republic ofCongo

Peace Deal Threatened

Rwanda has been accused of backing anew rebellion in eastern DRC that pitsarmy mutineers against governmentforces and threatens to pull apart a frag-ile peace deal between Rwanda and itsmuch larger neighbour.

Already at least 7,000 refugees have fledinto Rwanda and a further 14,000 intoUganda to escape the fighting.

Rwanda has strongly denied sendingarms and recruits to back a mutiny inthe DRC army that began in April ledby former Tutsi rebels who have previ-ously been linked with the government inKigali. But United Nations internalreports claimed that 11 rebel soldierswho were interviewed said they wereRwandan nationals and had beenrecruited there and sent across the borderinto the DRC to fight. (The Independent,London 29 ⁄ 5)More than 8,200 refugees have crossedinto Rwanda in the last month, accord-ing to UNHCR. These are in addition tothe 55,000 Congolese refugees thatRwanda is already hosting. A further30,000 refugees have arrived in Uganda.Prior to this, Uganda was already host-ing 175,127 refugees, including 97,424from DRC. (UN News Service 16 ⁄ 5)

Continental Alignments

May 1st–31st 2012 Africa Research Bulletin – 19261

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� Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2012.